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“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1))

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Is it really crucial if everyone knows your mission or purpose while
delivering your finest goods or services?

As I drift into this thought I look over my desk and lock eyes with a
laughing Buddha I have a laughing Buddha on my desk. On his marketing
pamphlet it says, “Rub his belly once a day and prepare for a life full of
joy, luck and prosperity!” I was sold once I read that, a perfect reminder
of what I aim for every day. I even find myself smiling when I see him;
it’s a good feeling.

When it comes to the big brands I’ve always wondered if they reached this
massive brand awareness because of their mission. Could something so simple
really be the answer? Here are some of my favorites:

Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup
and one neighborhood at a time.

Facebook: To give people the power to share and make the world more open
and connected.

Google: To organize the world‘s information and make it universally
accessible and useful.

Microsoft: To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize
their full potential.

Yahoo!: To be the most essential global Internet service for consumers and
businesses

YouTube: To provide fast and easy video access and the ability to share
videos frequently

Are you reaching your mission? What impression or lack of are you leaving
behind? I recommend considering these questions when you are developing
your mission statement.

Making sure your mission statement is clear connects to your brand and
defines your business plan. It could be just what you’ve been looking for;
to create that pride and recognition that keeps everyone smiling.

And with that I leave you with my own personal mission for the day: Always
leave them smiling.

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Have you looked back and remembered a moment in life when all you could hope for was a redo? Oh sure, we all know what happens has purpose and meaning, but when you act out with little regard for what you want, and instead your focus is to provoke another to react, a redo may be in order.

This week I was face to face with a past. I feel too involved to explain, but let’s just say it was a “big one”. This “past” was over a decade old and I’ll admit not only did I bury it, I shoved it so far into my subconscious I didn’t even recognize it when it showed up.

While old memories and present thoughts became one, my feelings began to enter unfamiliar territory. Not only did I believe this would never resurface, I felt an uncontrollable pull to run and hide. Really this is no time for games, perhaps this is my safety device making light of a situation that changed my life forever — or did it? I’ve always considered myself hopeful and at this moment I was feeling unsure. I realized plotting the end of a story doesn’t always work as you imagined.

In this case it was one of the moments I would do my best to disguise with the hopes no one would notice; one similar to a Twilight Zone episode with the twist at the end that seems to make you ponder longer than expected. Think back to the episode with the man who loved to read and never had any free time. Once unlimited time was available he stepped on his glasses destroying them, and there was no replacement eyewear in sight. See what you have, not what you don’t have. Without a doubt it’s a lesson worth remembering.

OK, back to the redo. I wish I could tell you all is well now and life is better than ever. The truth is I’m now stuck in an endless think tank without a solution worthy of exploring. Are some experiences really all they are cracked up to be? Will this episode in my life end with a resolution that brings light to one of my darkest moments, or was it really just a dream?